Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not audited, it is a lump sum. For background, Section 6 1(a) of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 transferred to the DPP the administration and control of the business, powers, duties and functions of State solicitors, which had previously been vested in the Attorney General. This provision was commenced on 16 May 2007 and the transfer of responsibility took effect from that date. There are 30 State solicitors appointed by the DPP to provide legal services to the director, arising from her functions under the Prosecutions of Offences Act 1974. Upon appointment, State solicitors enter into a contract for service with the DPP. The terms of the contract govern the conditions of appointment, legal services to be provided, remuneration, restrictions on private practice for the State solicitor and his or her partners, reporting obligations, the termination of the contract and other matters relevant to the provision of the legal service. The term of the contract is usually ten years. However, in some cases, State solicitors initially appointed by the Attorney General prior to that transfer in 2007 may have contracts for a longer period. Equally, if a State solicitor reaches 70 within the ten years, the contract may be for a shorter period. A State solicitor is bound by the terms of the contract, which govern the conditions of appointment, legal services to be provided, remuneration, restrictions on private practice for the State solicitor and his or her partners, reporting obligations, termination of the contract and other matters relevant to the provision of the legal service.